Caracoa: End of Kings CDr (Inam Records, 2017)

The third CDr from Caracoa this year consists of three pieces and two longer techno tracks. “Electric Air” opens the album with two minutes of suspended distortion, and then “Time in Reverse” is over 9 minutes of flickering, thumping drone-techno reminiscent of The Field but hazier and more monotonous. It eventually leads to a shimmering end, and then “A Warning Ignored” is a short burst of rhythmic static with a somewhat fearsome ending. This sets the stage for “Last Year on Earth”, the release’s other techno epic, and a piece of chilly ambient techno on par with any of the best work by Gas or The Sight Below. I’m serious, it’s that fucking good. I want it to go on forever. It seems so simple, it’s just a bright drone and a steady 4/4 thump, but there’s still some subtlety to it, like how there’s an off-sync pulse near the end. I can’t get enough of it. If this was released as a limited vinyl 12″ and someone at Resident Advisor found out about it, people would be selling it for hundreds of dollars on Discogs. “End of Kings” concludes the album with another short, regal drone. The release is ominous without being overwhelmingly full of dread. It’s also serene, but not entirely soft and light. It’s not overtly emotional, but it still manages to convey a lot. I think it’s absolutely incredible.